Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp insists he doesn’t like Diego Simone’s Atletico Madrid style of play.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp admits he doesn’t like Atletico Madrid style of play but claims he respect the coach for what he has done in the club.
The Reds will travel to Spain to face Atletico Madrid in the Champions League later today.
After their most recent meeting in which Atletico knocked out then holders Liverpool in the last 16 of the Champions League in 2020, Klopp questioned why the Spanish side had not played “proper football”.
Klopp claims his comments were based on emotion at the time, with the match Liverpool’s last prior to the coronavirus pandemic causing a suspension to the football calendar.
“Diego Simeone is doing absolutely everything right,” Klopp said at his pre-match news conference on Monday.
“He is the current Spanish champion. Very successful at [Atletico]. He has a bunch of world-class players, keeps them on their toes, they fight with all they have for their lives.
“That says a lot about the quality of Diego so I couldn’t respect more what they do.
“Do I like it? Not too much but that is normal because I prefer a different kind of football. That’s me.
Other coaches prefer different styles of football. Nobody has to like it, it just has to be successful and that is what Atletico is for sure.”
